Luteal phase following oocyte aspiration, in vitro fertilization, and embryo transfer in clomid/HCG-stimulated cycles

Abstract

Summary Using basal body temperature and repeated radioimmunological plasma progesterone estimations we monitored the luteal phase in seven patients after the administration of Clomid/hCG, oocyte recovery, in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer. In six of these women, the transferred embryos did not implant, and they bled 13–16 days after oocyte recovery. Neither the basal body temperature charts nor the plasma progesterone levels provided any indication of a luteal phase defect, being indistinguishable from those obtained in a control group of healthy women during a natural cycle. In the seventh woman, transfer of an eight-cell stage embryo resulted in implantation and a pregnancy which, to date (37th week) is developing normally.